Eric Pfeiffer, M.D.

It is with a heavy heart that I share with you the news of the passing of Dr. Eric Pfeiffer, a USF Health emeritus professor who faithfully served at our university for more than three decades. I want to express my sincerest condolences to Dr. Pfeiffer’s friends and family and take a moment to commemorate his invaluable contributions to USF Health.

Dr. Eric Pfeiffer was a recognized authority on health and aging, and during his many years at USF he played an integral part of establishing quality care for Alzheimer’s patients. Dr. Pfeiffer held appointments as a Professor and Division Chief of Geriatric Psychiatry at the Morsani College of Medicine, as well as the director of the Suncoast Gerontology Center for three decades.

Eric earned his Bachelor and Medical Degrees from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri and performed an internship in Internal Medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, before serving his residency in Psychiatry at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. He then began a private practice in psychiatry while serving as an assistant professor at Duke University, where he later advanced to full professor and became both project director and associate director. After a brief stint in the same role at the University of Colorado, in 1979 Dr. Pfeiffer joined the faculty at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine.

Dr. Pfeiffer was a prolific writer and nationally recognized for his research and patient-centered care. He wrote several medical textbooks on aging as well as books for lay audiences, including Up from Down: How to Recover from Life Changing Adverse Events, Winning Strategies for Successful Aging and Caregiving in Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias. He was also the author of a book of poems, Under One Roof.

Eric was revered by friends, colleagues, faculty, staff, and students, and he was a steadfast supporter of USF Health and the Byrd Institute. The Eric Pfeiffer PET Imaging Center, housed in the USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Center, was named in his honor, as was the Eric Pfeiffer Endowed Chair in Alzheimer’s Research. USF Health will always remember his lasting impact on our organization, and we offer my deepest sympathies to his family and friends.

Sincerely,

Charly

Charles Lockwood, MD, MHCM

Senior Vice President, USF Health

Dean, USF Health Morsani College of Medicine